Internet portals indicted for copyright violations

The operators of Korea’s two largest Internet portal sites were indicted yesterday on charges of turning a blind eye to music copyright violations.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office filed summary indictments against NHN Corporation, the operator of Naver, and Daum Communications Corp., the operator of Daum.

One affiliate of each site operator also faced summary indictments.

The prosecutors argued that the companies each must pay 30 million won ($22,405) in fines.

While Internet users who have illegally uploaded and downloaded content have been punished in the past, this is the first time in Korea that an Internet portal site was indicted on charges of assisting copyright violations.

In addition to the indictments against the companies, 42 employees of the firms and users of the portals were indicted for copyright violations.

According to prosecutors, the portal sites were aware of the users’ copyright violations but took no action to prevent them.

Prosecutors also said that the companies didn’t make use of commercial technology that can stop illegal Internet downloads.

NHN and Daum were also accused of turning down requests by copyright management agencies to remove illegally posted music from their sites.

According to the prosecution, 65 percent of the 10 million music files used on the Naver site were illegally posted, as were 60 percent of the music files posted on Daum.

The CEOs of NHN and Daum were questioned in the case. They were not charged.

The Korea Music Copyright Association and the Korea Association of Phonogram Producers filed petitions with prosecutors earlier this year to investigate NHN and Daum, charging that their requests to the companies to stop the copyright violations have been ignored.

By Ser Myo-ja Staff Reporter [myoja@joongang.co.kr]